Desert Scales, A Marik Love Story
by Darkchaosrising
Summary: Here's a fic for a friend.  Let me know what you think!  Marik meets Miko on day in Egypy and the relationship builds!  More to come in the future!
1. Chapter 1

**Cairo, Egypt**

The plane touched down after the eighteen hour long flight. One of the last passengers to get off was Miko Hayashi. She stumbled as she tried to juggle her many bags. The flight attendant grabbed one of the heavier bags before Miko was about to fall. Miko tried to laugh it off but blushed anyway. She thanked the woman as she rearranged the cargo. Finally she was ready to make her way to the taxi area. She looked around at the many people rushing to and fro. "Mister Kaiba said that there would a limo waiting around here somewhere." Miko sighed and started walking through the crowd. Local Egyptians stared at her as she passed. _'Is it something I'm wearing?'_ Miko thought as she tried to give off a friendly smile. She paused to look at her outfit. She wore a simple dark purple, three quarter sleeve shirt and black pants. She had her Kaiba Corp jacket on which was black, went down to her mid-calves, and the silver KC logo was on the collar. The Egyptian wind was chilly and she pulled the jacket tighter around her.

A man in desert robes walked up to her and smiled. He wore a turban and sunglasses. The man had a badge on his chest that bore the company name, External Data Resources. He smiled at her. "Hello, you must be from Kaiba Corporation. I am Asahi and I was sent to take you to your hotel."

Miko blinked a few times then giggled. "I'm glad you are here, I was afraid I would have to catch a cab. See I forgot the hotel's name that my reservations are at and it would suck to have to have the cab go to every hotel in Cairo." She laughed louder and handed her luggage to the man. Miko was a little bit of an airhead when it came to having to remember little things. She accredited most of her forgetfulness to the stress her job caused her. Miko worked closely with Seto Kaiba as his Chief Graphic Designer. Mr. Kaiba had sent her to Egypt to meet with the executives at EDR to show them the latest in his Duel Disk systems. Kaiba was allowing her to arrive a few days early to prepare and a few days after to enjoy the country. She was happy that he decided to, it would give her plenty of time to do her side research.

Once the limo pulled out and into the heavy bumper to bumper traffic, Miko pulled out one of her textbooks. She graduated her designing program over a year ago, having already finished most of the classes in high school. Three months ago she began to secretly take classes in order to study reptiles. She was fascinated with the creatures and they were her passion in life outside of her work. Although she knew that she had no need to keep her extra classes a secret, she still chose to. Seto Kaiba, her boss, would never understand her passion to reptiles and would never let her live it down. Not only that, but he believed that she should only focus on his work and would never accept her trying to focus on anything but. He would probably just triple her work load out of spite to get her to quit her studies anyway. Yeah, he boss was an ass but she still admired him for the way he made the company into what it was today.

The limo parked out front of the hotel and the man opened the door for her. She thanked him and watched as he gave the bellboy the copy of her reservations. _'This company sure is pulling out all the stops to make my visit go off without a hitch. I can't wait to walk around the city and see what information I can gather on the wildlife.'_ Miko smiled and followed the bellboy to her room. The room was beautifully decorated in tan paint and dark oak wood. The bed was covered in Egyptian silk sheets and smelled strongly of honeysuckle. Miko smiled and put her bags in the closet. She looked around the empty room for anyone. Smiling to herself she ran and jumped onto the bed. "Bonsai!" she yelled as she dove for the soft mattress. She laughed as she bounced on the springy bed. "I haven't been able to do this in years." She sat on the side of the bed and stretched her arms out. "So what should I do first?"

Miko dug through one of her bags for her notebook. She stuffed it into her messy purse. She took the keycard for the hotel room from the table the stuffed it into her jacket pocket. Finally she grabbed her phone and dialed the Kaiba Corp. number. When the secretary answered she asked for Seto Kaiba. After two minutes her boss came on the phone, he sounds irate like normal. "What is it? This better be good you are interrupting a meeting." He barked into the phone.

'_I always interrupt a meeting asshole. If you didn't fucking decide to work all the time maybe you might be tolerable.'_ Miko put a smile on her face; the last thing she wanted was to fight with her boss again. "I just wanted to let you know I arrived safely in Egypt, Mr. Kaiba."

He growled softly. "Why the fuck do I care? Call me after you have your meeting with the EDR."

Miko forced her smile to stay on her face; if it fell she would start yelling at him. "Yes sir, but the meeting isn't for two days."

"Then don't call me for two days. Oh and make sure you are not late. If this deal falls through you can kiss your job and your teams' job goodbye Miss Hayashi." Seto hung up the phone.

Miko shoved the phone violently into her purse. "Douchebag, mother fucker, arrogant asshole; why do I put up with him? I knew I should have taken that job at Industrial Illusions, but no! I wanted to work closer to home and therefore settled for Seto fucking Kaiba. I knew I should have listened to my instructor when he warned me about Kaiba." Miko sighed and punched a pillow, pretending it was Kaiba's face.

Miko worked her hardest for him, but it was never enough. After one project was completed, two more would take its place. With each new project would come even faster and more outrageous deadlines. Only once did she not get a project done on time and Kaiba flew off the handle. He almost fired her that day but after he saw the phenomenal work she was doing, he extended the deadline. Now she would push herself to exhaustion in order to finish each and every project on time. Ever since the Duel Disk project was started, Kaiba was pushing her and her team to the extremes. He was even more uptight and assholeish than normal. It was starting to get to Miko and on more than one occasion she had considered giving him a piece of her mind but then she remembered the one and only time that she and her boss got into it.

Kaiba was on a tirade about a project that wasn't exactly like he envisioned and it was pushing Miko to her limits. She stood up in the meeting room, in front of Maximillion Pegasus and about three other top executives from multiple companies and let into him. The two went back and forth for hours until Miko finally walked out. She should have quit that day but she didn't. The one thing about the job with Kaiba was that he would push her to do her best and constantly challenge her talents, and she loved it. He might be an incredibly, insensitive Nazi but at least he allowed her to be all she could be and strived to bring out her best.

Miko smiled as she walked out of the hotel. She turned north and walked randomly into the city. She passed a lot of people who were busy talking in Egyptian. Soon Miko found herself in the heart of the city's marketplace. She stared wide eyed at the bustling city around her. After digging for her camera, she began snapping pictures of the various stands. Suddenly she ran right into something or someone. She screamed and rushed to get back up onto her feet. Her camera and bag were still scattered onto the ground. She brushed her jacket off. "Man what in the world did I hit?" She looked around and noticed random fruits and vegetables lying on the ground. She stared at them before noticing the man starting to get back up to his feet. "Oh my god, I am so sorry!" she said as the realization struck her that she hit another person. "Are you okay?"

The man laughed and looked up at her. "Yes I'm alright, no harm done." The man had beautiful purple eyes and sandy blonde hair. He stood up and brushed the sand from his tan slacks and purple vest.

Miko smiled and tried to hide her blush. _'I need to stop walking when I'm trying to do something. I always wind up running into something or in this case a nice guy trying to buy groceries.'_ Miko bent down and retrieved the man's basket. She quickly gathered all the produce and handed him the full basket. "I'm really sorry about that, I'm such a klutz." Miko reached back down to retrieve her bag and camera. She stuffed the camera back into her bag.

The man laughed. "Don't worry about it miss; I tend to run into things a lot too. My name's Marik Ishtar." He offered his hand out to her and gave her a warming smile.

Miko shook Marik's hand. "I'm Miko Hayashi. Do you live around here Marik?"

Marik looked around nervously. "I live outside the city. I actually have to run if you don't mind Miss Miko."

Miko furrowed her brows. "Okay then. I hope I'll see you around soon."

Marik smiled, his eyes beaming. "Sure, I'll be here tomorrow afternoon. You should come and I'll show you around the city."

Miko smiled. "How did you know I wasn't from around here?"

"Simple, because you are wearing a Kaiba Corp. jacket, I haven't seen that logo since we got back from Domino City." He said.

"Oh so you've been to Domino?" Miko giggled a little, she hadn't expected to meet a friend out here. She thought that most people here wouldn't know English let alone be a friend to her.

Marik looked around again; he seemed to be on the lookout for someone. "We'll have to talk later Miko. I really have to go, sorry." Marik sprinted off towards the western portion of the city.

Miko watched him as he went. On the outskirts of the marketplace, Marik met up with a tall man. The mostly bald, tanned man was there waiting for him. He looked slightly annoyed to the young man. They both walked towards the city's gate. Miko smiled and walked towards a building that looked the most like a restaurant. The smells from the building were sweet and the attracted Miko. After a nice meal, she began to wander back towards the hotel. It took her twice as long to find the building as it should have. Once back in her room, she slipped into a shower. Afterwards she sat her alarm and went to bed. Tomorrow she would start her research and might her new friend.

**Next time: the start of Miko's journey into the depths of Egypt and the mysterious Marik tells her about the secrets the desert may hold for her.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Day 2 in Cairo, Egypt**

Miko woke up before her alarm even went off. The sun was just rising over the tops of the buildings, casting an eerie orange and red haze onto the horizon. She could hardly contain her excitement as she planned her day out in her head. She showered and dressed in a simple dark blue and green sleeveless shirt and loose black capris. She grabbed her long black Kaiba Corp. jacket and bag then headed out of the room. Miko ordered a simple crepe from a nearby café for her breakfast. She decided to sit outside and read her Egyptian Reptile's handbook. She had her eye on one particular animal and she would not rest until she found it. After she was done eating, she began walking around the town looking for some sort of museum. She walked into the building and scanned the map for the reptile exhibit. Once in the exhibit she located the nearest guard.

Tripping slightly on a thin cable, Miko made her way to the security guard. "Excuse me?" she asked. The man turned to her but didn't say a word. She tried to put on her brightest smile. "I was wondering if the head of the reptile exhibit was in."

The man clicked the button on the side of his ear piece and spoke in Arabic. After a few minutes he seemed to get a response. "The curator to the museum is the head of all reptilian exhibits and studies."

Miko blinked a few times and then let out a small giggle. "Does that mean he is in?" The guard nodded. Her smile widened. "Great, do you think you can see if I can have a small word with him?"

The guard talked into his earpiece again. After a few more minutes and a few strong Arabic words, the guard turned his attention back to her. "Dr. Andrew Ichor can see you now for a few minutes. He has a meeting in an hour so you have until them."

Miko thanked the guard and started wondering around the museum. After passing the same statue of Anubis for the fifth time she sighed. _'I got myself lost again. It maybe would have been a good idea to ask the guard how to get to the curator's office. I swear I need to think things through before I rush off, especially when I am excited.'_ Miko wandered around the Egyptian room for a few minutes before finding another guard. She walked up to the new man and smiled. "Hello, I'm a little lost. I was supposed to be going to Dr. Ichor's office. Do you think you can point me in the right direction?"

The guard glanced down at her. He looked around the empty wing and then back to her. "Go back to the Roman room and then hang a left. At the end of the hall you'll see a red and black door. That's his office." The guard went back to staring blankly at the statue of Isis.

Miko quickly walked away from the guard. _'That guy was a little freaky for me.'_ Miko wandered into the Roman room and started down the long, dimly lit hall. She glanced at all the rooms she passed. One of the doors was open and she saw a woman sipping tea and watching the morning news. Another had an older man reading the daily paper. _'I wish I had a job that was this carefree. I can't wait to get my major, and then I can start working for a research lab or all reptile museum.'_ Miko, deep in her thoughts, forgot to keep her eyes in front of her and ran into the curator's door. She shook her head just as the door opened.

A short gentleman was staring at her. He had a balding head of white hair and his face was full of wrinkles. His skin was sun beaten and tan but he appeared kind. He smiled up at her as she rubbed the sore spot on her forehead. "You foreigners sure do have a funny way of knocking." The older man laughed at himself. "And who might you be Miss?"

Miko straightening her jacket and held out her hand, "My name is Miko Hayashi. I was hoping to ask you a few questions about a reptile I am researching."

The man smiled wide, showing off his aging and yellow teeth. He seemed all too much but thrilled to have someone to talk to about his own passion. "Ah, come in then and have a seat. Tell me, what is a young woman like you doing studying the fabulous would of reptiles?" He sat behind his cluttered desk and motioned for her to sit in front of him.

Miko sat in the cushion chair. "Well, I have always been fascinated by reptiles ever since I was little. I take classes right not at Domino University to get my Herpetology degree. I'm hoping that once I have it I will be able to work as a research until I retire."

The old man's smile widened more; his wrinkles seemed to stretch out as he did. "It's not often that you see young people pursue a career in my field so you can imagine the pride I am feeling at the moment. So what brings you to Egypt? You are an awfully long way from Domino City for just research."

Miko smiled and brought out her notebook. She began flipping through the pages as she responded. "I work for the Kaiba Corporation as a game designer and I was sent here for a meeting. I have a few days before the meeting so I was going to do a little lizard hunting. I wanted to ask you for a few tips on this one in particular." Miko stopped at the page she was looking for.

The old man didn't offer to take the notebook. "What lizard are you looking for, Miss Miko?"

Miko smiled and pulled a pen from her bag, ready to take any notes. "I am most interested in the Spiny-tailed lizard."

The man leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He seemed to be running through the many volumes of information he learned over the years. "Ah, so you are looking for the Uromastyx family. The only one you will find in Egypt would be the….well why don't you tell me?"

Miko looked down at the notes she had complied before her trip. "According to my notes, the only one that is found in Egypt would be the Uromastyx aegyptia, better known as the Egyptian Mastigure or Egyptian dab lizard. Am I correct?"

Dr. Ichor nodded. "Yes you are. The Mastigure is an endangered species and, I am sorry to tell you, will be no easy creature to find. You would have a good chance of finding one near a gravel plain. Any sort of dry, rocky terrain would be the optimal place for sure."

"Have you ever seen one, Dr. Ichor?" Miko questioned while taking down her notes.

"I can't say that I have ever personally seen one outside of a zoo. You would be an extraordinarily talented young researcher if you were able to find and capture one."

Miko smiled at the man's words. Little did he know that she was going to be the greatest researcher in the world, it was her goal in life. All she needed to do was just keep her normal work drive going and it wouldn't be long until she was known around the world for her research. She thanked Dr. Ichor for his information and left the office. It took her a few minutes, wandering around the museum, before she was quickly learning she was lost again. _'I really should have taken that survival class when I was in grade school. I might have learned how to get un-lost when I am lost. I swear I would lose my own head if it wasn't firmly attached to my shoulders.'_ Miko sighed and walked into the Egyptian wing of the museum. _'At least I have been here before. So where is that lovely security guard that I was talking to?'_ Miko wandered aimlessly around the Egyptian artifacts, looking for the man from before. After ten minutes of no success, she paused on a nearby bench.

She noticed a woman walking towards her, mere moments after she collapsed onto the bench. The woman had long dark hair and wore white robes that hugged her curves. She had adorned around her head and neck, gold jewelry on her neck, waist, and head. She stood in front of Miko and smiled warmly. Her radiant blue eyes full of curiosity, she spoke in a kind and welcoming voice, "Hello, is there something I can help you find?"

Miko stood up and scratched the back of her head. "My name is Miko and I was here to talk with Dr. Ichor. But now I'm afraid I have lost my way out of this place. This museum is huge and unfortunately I'm not the best person for remembering the direction I should go."

The woman laughed a little. "Yes, I find that a lot of the museum's guests get lost in our wondrous halls. This is the largest museum in Egypt so it is no wonder that it happens. I was just on my way out for the day as well if you want to accompany me."

"You would be a life safer Miss….come to think of it, I don't believe I caught your name." Miko smiled as she walked beside her new friend.

The woman laughed again. "Pardon my rudeness, I am Ishizu Ishtar."

Miko nodded. _'I think I heard that name before…..crap my head hurts.'_ Miko rubbed her temples lightly. "So do you work here at the museum?"

"Yes, I have the head research and keeper for the Egyptian wing of the museum. I was just on my way home to pack for my trip." She said as she guided them through the various halls.

They reached the entrance soon after and parted ways. Ishizu hurried off towards the east. Miko stood outside of the museum for a while before pulling a Cairo map from her bag. She twisted it this way and that, trying to make sense of the various roads and map symbols. "Really should have taken that survival class. Stupid Kaiba, he was the one that told me I am retarded for even considering it. I really wish he would but out of my personal life." She griped to herself.

Miko suddenly felt like she was being watched. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and a few seconds later she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder. Miko spun around and pushed away from the potential attacker, tripping herself in the process. She fell into the unknown person and they both cascaded onto the museum steps. The man laughed as she tried to scramble to her feet.

Miko stood up fast only to trip backwards and land onto her butt. The man, still laughing, got to his feet and extended his hand to her. "I just wanted to surprise you Miko." The man said in a heartwarming voice.

Miko shook her head to clear the dazed feeling of being scared and looked up into the face of the Egyptian blonde. "Marik? You certainly did surprise me. I thought you were trying to attack me."

Marik helped Miko to her feet and smiled wide. "I'm sorry, I just thought I would say hello since I saw you coming out of the museum."

Miko nodded. _'I keep literally bumping into this guy. I swear one of these days someone is going to put me in a bubble so I don't hurt myself….or others.'_ She brushed the sand from her clothes. "Yeah, I went in there looking for information on where to find this lizard."

Marik furrowed his eyebrows. "What lizard? Can I help?"

"Maybe, here let me get the picture in my notes." Miko dug her notebook from her bag and handed it to Marik. "Dr. Ichor said that a rocky, hot terrain would be the best place to look."

Marik's eyes lit up. "I have seen these before. There is a small family of them out where I live."

Miko clasped the man's hands and gave him her biggest smile. "Oh, Marik can you take me to them? I would be so appreciative. I'll take you out to dinner or whatever for payment."

Marik's eyes flashed a hint of nervousness. "I can but you're going to have to listen to me."

"Okay, I'm listening."

Marik looked around, scanning the people around them. No one was close enough to overhear. "I can take you but you need to be quiet when we get there. The family is in the back so once we find them you can talk but until them I can't let you be seen. My family wouldn't understand and would be angry with me."

Miko nodded. "I understand, I think. I'll be as quiet as a church mouse okay?"

Marik smiled. "I'm going to take you up on that dinner offer after we get back from my home okay?"

Miko shared a laugh with the man and they both began walking to the east, towards the outskirts of town.

**Next time: Miko finally finds what she is looking for but is she in over her head. Odion and Ishizu made their appearance and Marik is put to the test.**


	3. Chapter 3

Miko followed Marik into the desert. The going was slow since she wasn't used to walking on such loose sand. Marik would laugh when she would trip on the way up a sand dune and wind up sliding back down it. Marik would slide down the dune on his butt, laughing like a manic the entire way. He would take Miko by the arm and help her to the top. Marik led them to some ruins about a mile and a half outside of the city. The weather was a bit chilly today in the early spring morning. Miko was happy she brought her jacket but Kaiba was going to have a fit when he saw the little scratches in the fabric from her falling so much. Miko didn't care though; she was having the time of her life. Egypt was better than she could have ever imagined. She didn't expect to be able to make friends, let alone be on the way to see the lizard she had been looking for. Marik talked the entire way there. He was so curious about her life. When they finally stopped inside the center of the ruins, Marik stopped.

Miko looked around nervously. _'Why did he take me to the middle of nowhere? Oh no, he isn't one of those murderers that befriends their victim then leads them out into the middle of nowhere to kill them, is he? No, that's crazy. Marik doesn't seem like that type of guy but neither did a handful of serial killers I've heard about.'_

Marik smiled and stretched his arms out above his head. "Well we're here; remember that when you go in to be as quiet as possible. I don't want my sister or brother to catch us."

Miko looked at Marik like he was an alien. "Uh, Marik? There is nothing here. I thought you said you were taking me to where you live." Miko started to back away from Marik. She looked back in the direction they came from, considering if she should start running to the city.

Marik furrowed his brows and started laughing. "I probably should've explained on the way here." He walked over to the left a little and sat down on what appeared to be the remains of a wall.

Miko sat beside him; she at least wanted to hear him out. "Yeah, for a second there I was thinking you were some sort of serial killer." Miko started laughing nervously.

Marik blinked at her, his face expressionless. "Darn, you found out my plan looks like I'm going to have to kill you now." When Miko's face fell, Marik started laughing. "I'm only joking with you. I would never be able to kill….I would never hurt a friend." Marik said, his eyes glazing over as he was recalling a distant memory.

"Well that certainly is a relief." She looked around the ruins again. "So, where do you live then? I don't see any house out here, just sand ruins."

Marik pointed to a spot in the center. "There's a door over there. My family has lived out here for centuries. We are a secret from most society so if you ask just anyone on the outside, they won't be able to tell you about us."

Miko nodded and relaxed. "That's really cool. So there's a house underground huh?"

Marik laughed again and shook his head. "Not a house. We are tomb keepers. My family was charged to protect the Pharaoh Atem's final resting place. Ever since then, generations have grown up and died in that place. "

Miko furrowed her brows again. "That's incredible! So you guys just live under ground in a tomb? It must be nice to come up into the city every now and then huh?"

Marik's face fell and Miko could see fear in his eyes. "The truth is: I'm not supposed to leave the tomb. My sister only leaves to go to work and even that is only for a few hours. My brother only leaves when there is something that we need. I'm would get in a lot of trouble for going into the city."

"So, I'm guessing that you're not allowed to have friends come over?" Miko said. She nervously looked around the ruins for anyone.

He nodded and then sighed. "Yeah, Odion would probably chain me up and never let me see the light of day ever again." Marik laughed to try to lighten up the mood.

Miko leaned back on her arms and looked up at the cloudy sky. "Then why did you bring me here? I really don't want to get anyone in trouble."

Marik jumped up and smiled wide. "It's no fun to follow the rules all the time you know. You have to break a few rules to really start living. Now come on, my sister will be at the museum for a few more hours and my brother should be still in the city getting groceries. If we only spend an hour down there we shouldn't have a problem."

Marik grabbed Miko by the hand and sprinted to the trapdoor. He carefully opened it. Miko started descending down the stairs, careful to hold onto the wall. The last thing she wanted was to fall and break her leg. Her boss would kill her if she didn't get to that meeting tomorrow evening. Marik followed her in, closing the door behind them. He picked up an already lit torch from the wall and motioned for her to still be quiet. Miko wondered why they even needed to be silent if his family was out at the moment. _'Well he did say that only his brother and sister were out; maybe that means his father and mother are still here.'_

Marik led her through three or four corridors before they started passing entryways into large rooms. Marik pointed to one room off to the left. "That's my room." He whispered. Miko looked into the room. A moderate bed sat in one corner covered with white blankets. There was a small dark desk stacked with books. In the other corner sat a trophy case with a golden rod inside that looked extremely old. Miko was fascinated by the item and made a mental note to ask about it later. There were a few posters on the walls with Duel Monster players and their favorite cards. She even saw a poster of her boss and his infamous Blue Eyes White Dragon. There was also one of Yugi Muto and his Dark Magician. She could tell that someone had written a message on it as well. She gave Marik a smile and thumbs up sign. He motioned for her to keep following him. They traveled deeper into the caverns. The further in they got, the colder it became. Miko was happy that she did take her KC jacket with her. She wondered if Marik was cold considering he only wore a purple vest but he didn't even make a notion that he was.

'_He must be so used to these temperatures from having lived down here for his whole life. This is a nice place though considering it is underground. I can't wait to see the Uromastyx lizard family he spoke of.' _Miko broke herself from her thoughts when she accidently bumped into a low ceiling.

Marik stopped and looked back at her. "You have to watch out for them you know. We should be far enough back that we can talk."

"How much further is it?" Miko asked while rubbing the small bruise that was beginning to form on the top of her head.

Marik jumped down a few feet into a lower room. He turned around and held out his hand for her. "Not that much further really, we should start seeing them any minute."

Miko took Marik's hand and let him help her down. "Marik, how do you even know where you're going? Everything looks the same now down here. I wouldn't be able to even tell you the way back out."

Marik smiled and walked into a very large chamber. "Like I said earlier, I grew up here. When I was younger I used to run around down here to get away from my father. He never could find me when I hid in this room. If you look closely at the walls you might be able to find some of the drawings I did. Boy, my father would have been mad if he ever found out I drew all over the tomb walls."

Miko laughed and looked around the chamber. The fire from the torch cast eerie shadows on the remains for the statues. A large throne was barely standing on top of a raised platform in the center. Marik walked over to one of the remaining columns and lit a small torch, brightening up the room. Miko smiled when she could finally see more of the room. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling in ancient hieroglyphs. She saw in a few spots closer to the ground that was covered in small childlike drawings. She giggled at the pictures of the sun and outside world. _'Marik must have always dreamed about leaving this place. I wonder if he has ever been out of Egypt.'_

Marik pointed over to the left side of the throne. "The little family made a home up by the throne. The babies will normally run right up to you but the mom will just sit and watch."

Marik led the way to the throne. Before they ascended the stairs he placed the torch in a makeshift holder on a standing column. He ran quietly up the stairs and plopped himself in the throne. Miko laughed at him and bowed. "My Pharaoh, what is your bidding?" she joked.

Marik crossed his arms and tried to put on his most serious face. "I wish that the sun would shine forever." He gazes up at the ceiling, his eyes glazed over. He seemed to be wishing the ceiling would collapse so he could see the sky. He whispered, "I want to be free."

Miko stood up and smiled wide. She walked up the stairs, and said, "I might not understand completely why you are forced to stay here but you know you can be free. Anyone can change their destiny if they fight hard enough. You just need to find out what you want in your life and work hard, with everything that is in your body, to achieve that goal."

Marik smiled wide and turned to face the left side of the throne. He peaked over the side and pointed down at the small lizards. "Hey there buddies, I brought a friend to see you. This is Miko and she's a very nice lady so be on your best behavior!"

Miko giggled as she watched Marik wag his finger at the babies. She sat down on one of the steps, right next to the babies nest. The mother looked at her suspiciously but made no move to attack. Miko smiled wide, her eyes twinkling at the sight. "They are so precious! Thank you Marik." She pulled out her notebook and started sketching the small family together. The notebook lay on the ground as she sketched.

Marik watched her. He pointed to the mother. "I named her Isis. I named all of the babies too but they run around so much I might get them mixed up sometimes."

One of the smaller male lizards ran up to Miko, jumping onto her notebook. He looked quizzically up at her. "I think this one likes me, Marik."

Marik picked him up, the mother coming out to watch him carefully. "This one is Horus. He's the most curious and loves to run up your arms and legs." He looks down at Isis.

Miko finished her drawings and began to write notes about each of the lizards. Marik would tell her the personality and names of each when she asked him. Without realizing it, two hours had passed as Marik and Miko played with the babies. Isis calmed down enough, learning to trust the new comer. Suddenly, without warning, a deep voice boomed throughout the cavern.

Marik bolted up when he heard the approaching voice. "Oh no, we stayed to long." Marik raced down the stairs.

It was too late to hide. A tall man jumped down and into the room with them. Miko froze on the stairs, staring at the stranger. _'That's the man I saw on my first day here. He looks angry.'_

The tall man approached them, walking very fast. He wore a purple cloak over his clothes so Miko couldn't see exactly how built he was. The man's head was mostly bald except for a small ponytail of black hair. He had ancient rune tattoos on his face and his yellow eyes were burning in anger. "Master Marik, who is this outsider and what is she doing here?" he yelled as he approached Marik.


	4. Chapter 4

Marik ran up to the new man, trying to block his path further into the chamber. He tried to put his hands on the man's broad shoulders to stop him. "Odion, please just relax I can explain."

The man, Odion, didn't stop walking. His stature, compared to Marik, was huge. His chest appeared to be well built, although hidden underneath the cloak. His golden eyes focused on Miko, like a striking snake. "Master Marik, how can you lead an outsider into the very sacred room of the tomb? You know that is against the rules!"

Odion stopped when he stood in front of Miko. She found herself trying to retreat up the stairs, hoping that he would just cease seeing her. She wanted to disappear. She didn't dare to say a word. Marik stayed in between them, firmly planting himself on the spot. "Odion, I brought her here so punish me. She didn't know it was forbidden."

Marik looked back at Miko when he said that. His face held an apology with a hint of sadness. He turned back to Odion. "I'm sorry Master Marik but this girl cannot leave here unpunished. She must know that she can never tell anyone about us."

Miko backed away, her heart pounding in her chest. _'I didn't know anything. What is this guy going to do to me?'_

Marik shook his head and held his arms out to the side. "I won't let you hurt her. I was the one who brought her, so punish me."

Odion looked down to his young master. He seemed torn as to what he should do: listen to his young master or to what he was taught. He hung his head his voice becoming soft. "I'm sorry Master Marik for what I am about to do, but I have to listen to the ancient bylaws." Odion locked eyes with Marik. He raised one of his massive hands into the air, bringing it down on the side of Marik's head. Marik went sprawling onto the ground five feet away from his previous location. Odion watched as he fell, almost looking sorry for what he did.

Marik hit the ground hard, having the wind knocked out of him. He tried to speak but it came out in rough, panting gasps. "Odion stop, I will never forgive you for this."

Odion approached Miko. She retreated away from him until she fell back, landing on the stairs. "Please sir, I promise I won't tell anyone about anything I have seen. You don't have to hurt me."

Odion shook his head as he started up the stairs. "There is no way I can do that Miss. I cannot run the risk of someone finding out where this tomb is. I pledged my life to protecting this tomb and the family that inhabits it."

Miko closed her eyes and raised her arms above her head. She held her breath as Odion stood directly in front of her. That was until she heard a rustling, followed by Marik screaming. Miko opened her eyes and the sight took her breath away. Marik had rushed the bigger man. He tackled him onto the ground and was trying to prevent him from getting back onto his feet. Marik locked eyes with Miko. "Run Miss Miko. I'll hold him back; just keep running straight until you get to the exit."

Miko sprung up from the stairs, sprinting towards the exit. Her eyes were focused on the dark ledge she needed to climb up. _'Easy for you to say Marik, I'm not exactly the most coordinated person on the planet. I'll be lucky not to break my neck while I try to escape.'_ Miko ran around Odion but unfortunately not far enough. Odion reached out and snagged the back of Miko's jacket. Miko screamed out as she was pulled to the ground, striking her chin on the stone floor. She started kicking wildly at the man until her foot landed squarely onto his face. Odion released her and Miko scrambled to her feet. Miko climbed up the small ledge and bolted down the darkened hall. She focused on the distant glow of a torch that marked the exit. She ran past the open rooms, past the living quarters, and didn't stop until she reached the trapdoor. Miko climbed the stairs and used her shoulder to open the solid door. The night air rushed into the tomb, dust swirling around in the wind. Miko jumped the last few stairs and up into the ruins. She stumbled to her knee as she landed, wincing in pain. She paused to catch her breath before bolting towards the city's lights in the distance. Miko would fall in the sand but not waste a second getting back to her feet. Her heart pounded in her head from fear, the fear that Odion was coming for her.

By the time Miko reached the hotel, she was out of breath. She stopped in the hotel's lobby. She leaned against the wall trying desperately to control her ragged breathing. She closed her eyes, willing the pain in her lungs to subside. A doorman with a heavy accent walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. He held out a small glass of water for her, which she took with a small smile. Miko gulped down the water, her breathing slowly returning to normal. "Thank you for the water."

The doorman smiled and helped Miko stand up. Miko's legs shook slightly; they felt like jello from the run to the city. "It is not a problem Miss. You are not in any trouble are you? I could call the police if you are."

Miko shook her head, standing on her own now. Her legs were screaming for a break. "No, I think I'm okay now. Thank you for the thought though."

The doorman smiled but the smile quickly faded as he noticed her torn pants and bleeding chin. "Miss, you are injured. I have a first aid kit and can patch you up."

Miko thanked the man again. He helped her to a nearby recliner and ran to get the kit. The doorman quickly cleaned and wrapped her two wounds. Miko casually returned to her room, ordering room service. She lay on the bed after eating. She sighed as she knew she was going to be sore in the morning from her injuries. It only took a few minutes for her to finally fall asleep.

**Day Three – Meeting Room**

Miko finished setting up the projector with the slides she needed. The meeting, she knew, would only last a few hours but the pain in her leg would make it drag on forever. She wore a simple black and red skirt suit with the Kaiba Corp. logo on the collar. The black heels she was wearing were uncomfortable and furthermore made her knee ache. One the way to the meeting room she had run into Marik again. His black eye looked ugly as he tried to give her a smile. _'He asked if we could go to dinner after my meeting. He mentioned he wanted to talk about last night. I just hope he explains why he put me in so much danger by taking me to those ruins.'_

The men from External Data Resources entered the room and assumed their seats. A young woman sat closest to Miko, a translator by the looks of her. Miko sighed inwardly as she saw the translator. The meeting would last an extra hour in order to let her talk to the men. She reviewed the Kaiba Corporation new advances in digital gaming and technology. She showed them a sample of the newest version of the Duel Disk system. The entire time the men seemed genuinely intrigued by the demonstration. Miko started her presentation of how the technology would further the development of the company. Before she was even done with her slides, the head of the EDR stopped the presentation. Miko bit her bottom lip, wondering if she made a mistake somewhere and turned the deal sour. The translator smiled as she conversed in Arabic with the man.

When they were finished talking the man signed a set of papers in front of him. The woman turned to Miko. "Mr. Fanous would like to stop your presentation now Miss Hayashi."

Miko tried to put on her best smile. "Is there something he needs to attend too?"

"No Miss. He would like to go ahead and sign the contract with Kaiba Corporation. He appreciates your presentation and says that you have been the best presenter he has ever seen."

Miko walked over to the man and shook his hand, bowing slightly to him. After the people from EDR left, she packed away her things and had them delivered back to her hotel room. Miko sat in one of the meeting room chairs and pulled her cell phone out. She dialed the number for Kaiba and waited the normal two rings for him to answer.

"Seto Kaiba, this better be important." He barked into the phone.

Miko could hear a woman in the background, asking if he could take the call later. She rolled her eyes as she remembered the girlfriend that Kaiba insisted on carting with him to work. The woman was nice and pretty much kept to herself. No one dared to make the woman mad; there was something feral in those crystal blue eyes of hers. Miko hated when Kaiba would constantly parade her through the building, stroking the woman's long white hair when he talked to her. _'Come to think of it, I rarely see Kaiba without Rajata anymore. I still can't believe someone would want that freaking jerk anyway. I know I would have to go ballistic on him at least once a day if he was mine.'_ Miko sighed and tried to smile so her voice was cheery and upbeat. "I just wanted to inform you about the meeting I just finished Kaiba."

Seto growled under his breath. "Miko Hayashi, you can me Mr. Kaiba or Sir. You under no circumstance should address me as anything else. Now how did the meeting go with Fanous?"

Miko smiled, knowing that the outcome would surprise even Seto Kaiba. "He stopped me before I could finish my presentation."

She could hear Kaiba slam his hands down onto his desk. "What the fuck did you do? Did you insult the man? I swear I will have your head for this Hayashi. How could you fuck something as simple as this up so badly?"

Miko tried her hardest not to laugh. She was going to make him eat his own words. "Actually Mr. Kaiba," she put an emphasis on the mister, "He didn't need to hear the entire presentation. He signed imminently."

Kaiba didn't respond for a few seconds. "I knew even you couldn't screw this up Hayashi. Enjoy the remaining three days there. I'll have a Kaiba Corp. limo pick you up at the airport."

Miko smiled as she knew Kaiba had to be feeling like an ass. "Thank you Mr. Kaiba."

"I expect you back to work the day after you return." Kaiba hung up the phone after he finished his orders.

"You could have at least told me I did a good job you asshole." Miko stuffed her phone into her bag, acting like it was Kaiba's face and she was stuffing the words right into his fat head.

Miko left the EDR and headed back to downtown Cairo. As the twilight began to glow on the horizon she arrived at a small restaurant. The place was quiet and tables spaced far enough away for private conversation. She scanned the crowd, finally catching sight of the sand blonde haired man. She excused her way through the crowd and slid into the opposite side of the booth. Marik smiled at her, his black eye shining in the dusk.


	5. Chapter 5

**Day Three, Evening**

Miko slid into the booth across from Marik. He smiled warmly, sipping from his water. Miko tried to smile back but with the events from the prior day, she just couldn't bring herself to. The waitress came over and offered to get Miko a drink. "Just something hot please, tea would be fine." The waitress left, returning soon after with her drink. Marik cleared his throat after she left again to leave them time to look over the menu. Miko tried to look over the menu but furrowed her eyebrows as it was written in Arabic. She laughed a little under her breath as she tried to form the words with her mouth. She knew that she was probably slaughtering the language.

Marik smiled and put his finger on the top of Miko's menu, gently lowering it to see her face. "Can I help you to pick out something?"

Miko looked up at Marik. His eyes were shining in the dim light from the table's candle. Miko smiled and lay the menu down in front of her. "Actually yes, I'm not familiar with this countries cuisine yet. What's your favorite thing here?"

Marik smiled and pointed to an object on the menu. "This is. It is called Shawarma."

Miko laughed again, sipping on her cooled tea. "That sounds like a hair product not food. What is in it?"

Marik smiled and skimmed the item's description as he spoke. "Well it is like a rolled sandwich. This one has sliced chicken and roasted vegetables, with a garlic sauce. The chicken is cooked in traditional Egyptian spices and the pita was brushed with Tahina."

Miko sighed. "Now Tahina sounds like something that is growing under a sink. Are you sure this hair product is edible?"

"Tahina is a hummus not a mold." Marik sat back, sipped his water, and then gave Miko another beautiful smile. "Believe me when I tell you that everything I just said about Shawarma is edible. It is a very popular street food out here. I always get Odion to make me some for lunch."

Marik stopped talking after mentioning his brother's name. His eyes fell to the table. Miko sighed softly, letting her mind wander to the memories of the night before. _'I don't believe that Marik intended to have me meet Odion, let alone get hurt by him. I want to believe that but it still stands that he was reckless to even take me to that tomb in the first place. We need to air out this.' _Miko tried to bring a smile to her face. She wanted to let Marik know that he shouldn't be uncomfortable around her.

The waitress approached them again. Marik raised his head and ordered for the two of them. When the waitress left, Marik stared long and hard at his hands. A few minutes later he finally looked up into Miko's eyes. "Miss Miko, I feel like I need to apologize for yesterday."

Miko nodded as she replaced the tea kettle in the middle of the table. "You do owe me an apology that much I won't deny. Above all else, though, you owe me an explanation."

Marik seemed to sink a little into the booth. His eyes glazed over with a hint of sadness. "What do you want to know?" he said in a small voice.

"Well for start…" Miko paused as the waitress brought their food. When she left, Miko bit into her sandwich. She smiled as the taste of each ingredient melded beautifully in a symphony of flavor. She finished her bite before she continued to speak. "Like I was about to say: for starters I would like to know what you were thinking the other day?"

Marik looked up from his food, confusion written in his violet eyes. His blonde hair had fallen, blocking the shiner from view. "I don't quite understand the question."

"You knew that you couldn't have anyone from the outside in the tomb from what I gathered. You took me there anyway so why? Did you want to hurt me or was me running into Odion an accident?"

Marik sighed, staring at his food for a long while. Finally he turned his eyes up to Miko. They were full of a longing sadness. He seemed to be crying on the inside, screaming even. Miko's heart caught in her chest as the young man's features softened and because so amazingly venerable. "When I met you in the market I felt a longing for something I have never had before. I wanted a friend. When we first started heading out to the tomb I forgot all about the rules I knew I had to follow. I was having so much fun playing in the dunes and running around in the sand. It wasn't until we started walking the catacombs that I started to remember that Odion would kill me."

Miko furrowed her brows and sat back in the booth. "So you forgot that he was even coming home?"

Marik shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I remembered that he was due to come home but I swore that we would have plenty of time to get in and see the animals before he was going to get there. I just wanted so bad to feel like a normal person my age. I never really had any friends before besides Odion and my sister. Is it so bad?"

Miko sighed and rubbed her hands together. _'I feel for the guy I suppose. I mean he did have to live underground most of his life with no big social outlets.'_ She reached out a hand, laying it gently on top of Marik's. "I guess I can understand why you would want to try to make me a friend but that doesn't explain why you would knowingly put me into danger Marik."

"I didn't know that Odion would go that far. Well, like I said, I thought that I would be able to keep better track of time and you would be gone long before he came home." Marik gently ran his thumb over Miko's hand.

"But you didn't keep track of the time we had, so why didn't you?" Miko asked; she tried her hardest to keep her tone calm and level. She didn't want Marik to know he was pulling at her heartstrings. _'I really feel for him. I know I wouldn't be able to stay locked up all my life without being able to enjoy anything from the outside. I couldn't imagine living with movies, music, and even being able to see the sky. I don't want him to know yet that I feel this way. I want him to explain himself fully without thinking he can skip details just because I already feel sorry for him._

Marik smiled a little. Miko almost gasped aloud when she saw a single tear fall from the violet eyes of the sandy blonde man. "I was having such a great time. You honestly made me forget all about the tomb keepers and Odion. I lost track of time as I watched you play with the lizard family. Do you ever remember the first friend you ever made?"

Miko looked down at the cup of tea in her hand. She was trying to remember. "I honestly can't remember my very first friend."

Marik eyes lit up a little. "Well how do you feel when you make new friends then?"

Miko looked into his eyes confused at the sudden change in topic. "Well I'm always happy to meet someone new but when they become true friends I feel like I gave them a little piece of my heart and they gave me theirs."

Marik smile grew even wider. "Now magnify that feeling time one thousand and that is how I felt when I met you the other day. I had never really tried to meet anyone before when I went on the outside."

Miko furrowed her brows again. "Then why did you make friends with me? I'm not that special."

Marik shook his head, a goofy grin spread across his face. "You know I really have no idea. I just thought you looked cool and a little out of place."

Miko felted her face heat up a little, she started laughing softly. "I was out of place?"

Marik tried to avoid her look but when his eyes met back with hers, he appeared like a small child. "You know, a white girl in Egypt wearing a long black coat really stands out."

She dropped her fork with a loud clatter. She tried to give Marik her best mad face but seconds after, she started laughing uncontrollably. She held onto her sides, small tears rolling from her eyes. Marik joined in. The restaurant patrons began pointing and whispering among themselves. Miko didn't care for her mood became elated. "Marik, you are amazing you know that." She wiped the tears from her face. "So does it hurt?"

Marik stopped laughing and smiled wide. "Does what hurt?"

She rolled her eyes. "To think with that small brain of yours, no the black eye does it hurt?"

Marik gingerly reached up and touched the swollen eye. "Not really anymore. Odion apologized a million times after you ran away. I'm really sorry about that."

"Don't worry about that Marik. If we keep harping on the past we can never move on and become better friends you know." Miko handed the waitress her Kaiba Corp. credit card.

Marik smiled and started bouncing in his seat. "So how much longer are you staying in Egypt?"

"I have two days left. I have no idea what I'm going to do for two days though." Miko signed the receipt then stood up.

Marik joined her in front of the table and motioned outside. "Well I could some you around if you want tomorrow. Then I can see you off on your last day. I promise the days won't end with you running away again."

Miko slapped a hand onto his shoulder. "That sounds like fun but I'm warning you Ishtar: if I have to run away because someone is trying to kill me, it'll be your manhood I hunt down." Marik's eyes went wide and he unconsciously slipped his hand over his crotch. He gulped, trying to search for the right words. When he didn't respond, Miko started laughing again. She rubbed his shoulder a little. "Don't worry Marik; I'm just kidding."

Marik sighed audibly and held a hand over his heart. "Wow, I thought you were serious. You're really good at that you know? Come on and follow me, I want to show you something."

Miko started following Marik outside the restaurant. "I learned my poker face and angry tone from my boss, honestly."

Marik led the way through the slowly thinning city populous. The sky was being to turn a darker yellow. He quickened his pace, weaving through people until finally reaching the outskirts of town. "It isn't much further now." Marik started walking out into the desert sand. "Your boss sounds like a real piece of work. Is he an asshole?"

Miko laughed imagining what Kaiba would say to that. "Of course he is; he's the King of Douchebags. But other than that I enjoy the work, just have to get over Seto Kaiba always breathing down my neck."

Marik looked over at Miko as they neared a small raised oasis. The trees swayed in the desert wind, a small pond in the center of the trees. "No way you work for Seto Kaiba? I knew him when I was at Battle City."

"Wow, small world right? So why did we come here?" Miko asked as she looked around the abandoned oasis.

Marik smiled and sat next to the pond's banks. He patted the ground beside him and Miko sat. "I wanted to show you that."

Miko followed his pointing finger to the horizon. The trees framed the horizon perfectly, casting a small frame around the picture beyond. She gasped as she watched the reddish sun slowly melt into the desert sand. The sky erupted into orange and pink hues. She looked up at the sky, amazed at the small miracle she was witnessing. "Marik, this is amazing! It is so beautiful."

Marik smiled, staring at her. "I know you are." He muttered, but not loud enough for her to hear.


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 4 – Morning**

Miko awoke with a huge smile. She stretched her arms above her head, sighing contently. "Good morning world. I hope you had a good night like I did." Miko blushed as she remembered the walk from the desert oasis back to the hotel. Marik asked her so many questions about her life, school, work, and family. _'Boy did he harp on my friends, especially my guy friends. He seemed pleasantly happy when I said I was too busy to date really.' _ She blushed softly as another thought came to her head. During the walk back to the hotel, Marik kept accidently brushing his hand against hers. She smirked, _'I know that it was no accident. I wonder what was running through that sandy blonde head of his. He was probably driving himself nuts trying to figure out if he should hold my hand or not.'_ Miko grabbed a pillow from behind her and buried her face into it. She let out a happy squeal, throwing her legs all around underneath the blankets. "He's so cute when he's innocent!" A knock at the door ended Miko's sudden burst of happiness. She put on a calm façade and bounded out of bed. She threw open the door with a smile.

"Room service, I'm here to clean and freshen the room." Marik said as he produced a small cup of tea. He eyed Miko curiously from head to toe, a small blush appearing on his tanned cheeks.

Miko looked down at herself. She was wearing a pair of black boy shorts and a long sleeved, white top. She blushed as well, scratching the back of her head. "Good morning, butler. I will require my bathroom to be scrubbed, my bed to be turned out, and my feet to be massaged." she said with a slight hint of a snobbish tone.

Marik gave a half bow, careful not to spill his tea. Miko giggled as she sipped on the warm liquid. "Good morning, Miss Miko. Are you ready for a fun day?"

Miko laughed softly. She stepped to the side to let Marik enter her hotel room. "Pardon the mess. Since it isn't my apartment I tend to be a little bit of a slob." Miko pulled the blankets of the bed up and perched herself on the edge.

Marik looked around the room. "You are kidding me right?"

Miko blushed darkly. "No, I didn't think I was. Why did you ask?"

Marik opened his arms and spun around the room. "What mess?" The room was clean except for the prior night's outfit that lay strewn across the floor in front of the small television. Marik shook his head as he sat in a small corner chair. "You should see my room when I can't find something to wear in the morning."

"That bad….wait why do you have problems finding something to wear?" Miko said, furrowing her brows in curiosity.

Marik tried to avoid looking directly in Miko's direction. "Well you see," he hesitated, searching for the right words. "You see I have this thing when I go out into public that I need to look my best. I don't want people to think that I'm some sort of street rat or something."

Miko giggled and tossed a small pillow at Marik's head. "Okay Aladdin, whatever you say." She took a few sips of her tea. It was sweet but bitter at the same time, very refreshing this early in the morning. "So what are we going to do today Marik?"

Marik jumped up from his seat. He began to frantically dig through his pockets, searching for something. After a few minutes he pulled out a sheet of paper. "This is what we're doing. There's a small festival near the Nile River today. We'll check it out, eat there, and I have a surprise for you too."

Miko looked over the paper. The festival was for the Egyptian God, Isis. There were pictures of a previous year's festival. People were smiling and eating what looked like to be very traditional foods. There was a picture of children playing some game in the sand and a couple dancing. Miko gulped, _'I hope he knows I can't dance to save my soul.'_

Marik looked over her expression, giggling under his breath. "You look like you are terrified of something."

Miko tried her best to laugh it off. "Well you see the thing is….I can't dance."

"Well then," Marik stood up and put his hands on his hips, "want to know a secret?"

Miko nodded then scrunched her nose up. "You aren't going to tell me that you are like a secret striper or world class ballroom dancer are you?"

Marik held his stomach as he tried to control his newest fit of laughter. He shook his head, wiping the fresh tears from his eyes. "No, I'm not a striper. I'm not a dancer at all. The key to dancing is to just feel the music and have fun. That is all I ever do when I'm dancing."

Miko smiled and stood up. "You don't mind if I shower before we leave right?" Marik nodded and picked up the remote for the television. Miko grabbed her clothes for the day and headed into the shower. She could hear the television through the closed bathroom door. Marik was laughing at whatever was on. _'Wait, is that cartoons? Marik is a strange man that is for sure, but his personality is so….refreshing compared to what I have to deal with everyday back home. I wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow.'_ Miko laughed to herself, finishing her shower after ten minutes. She brushed her hair out and applied a little bit of light makeup. She slipped on a pair of tight black capris and her long dark blue silk, sleeveless shirt. She smiled at herself, gazing at the slight cleavage she was showing. _'I wonder if this will give Marik a nosebleed or not. He gives off such an innocent personality it is a wonder the man hasn't turned into one of those celibate monks.'_

Miko walked out into the room. Marik was lying back on the bed, propped up on her pillows. He was giggling at the cartoons on the television, oblivious to her presence. Miko cleared her throat and spread her arms with a smile. Marik flipped the television off and turned towards her. His face immediately erupted into a dark blush and he tried, but failed, to peel his eyes away from her. His mouth opened but it took him a few minutes to form any intelligent thoughts. "Miss Miko, you look….."

Miko smiled and swayed on her spot. "Do I look that bad?"

Marik shook his head, swinging his legs onto the side of the bed. "Not at all Miss Miko, you look fantastic. You might want a small jacket if you get cold."

Miko grabbed her bag and a small, lite black jacket. "Alright so where are we going first?"

Marik opened the hotel door, bowing slightly. "After you Miss Miko, the first stop will be the festival. That surprise I have for you isn't until later tonight."

Miko giggled, leading the way to the elevator. She pressed the button and the doors opened. The long way down to the lobby was slow going. The old elevator creaked as it descended. Miko hummed to the music and looked over at Marik. _'He is trying his hardest to be sneaky at looking at me. He is staring into the elevators shiny walls and looking straight at me. He is so cute it isn't funny.'_ Miko blushed and nudged Marik with her elbow. "Seeing something you like Mr. Ishtar."

Marik turned his eyes and stared at the descending numbers. "I just….um….call me Marik please Miss Miko."

"I'll only call you Marik if you stop this Miss stuff. I'm your age Marik; you shouldn't have to call me by formalities." Miko said, laughing under her breath.

Marik nodded. "It is a deal then." Marik led the way out of the hotel lobby and into an awaiting cab. The drive to the festival was rather quick until they got closer to the fair grounds. For the early hour in the morning, people where packing into the ground in large groups. Miko smiled as she watched a vast variety of different people walked into the gates: Egyptians in traditional dress, American tourist with large cameras around their necks, and Asian families who gazed around in wonder at the beautiful Nile River surrounded by the desert. Marik touched Miko's shoulder gently to bring her attention back to him. His violet eyes shined in the morning sun. "Are you alright Miko? You have been extremely quiet since we left the hotel. If you don't want to go to the festival, I'm sure we can find something else to do."

Miko laughed, placing a reassuring hand on his leg. "Marik this is wonderful. I was just taking in the sights of this beautiful country. I honestly didn't expect this place to look like this when I was told I was coming to Egypt. I thought it would be all sand and, well, nothing."

Marik laughed nervously, looking out the window. "Well it just so happens you're in one of the better parts of Egypt. I'm sure there are places like you described elsewhere, but this place is beautiful." The cab stopped and Marik paid the driver. They both exited the cab. "Are you hungry?"

Miko rubbed her stomach gently. "Yes actually, I haven't eaten since last night and it is lunch time."

Marik nodded and they walked into the gate of the festival. Miko looked around in wonder as the booths were stacked with beautiful renditions of Isis. They found a small booth with classic American food. Marik ordered them both a burger and fries. They sat at a nearby table, joking on the people that walked by. Marik pointed out a small man with what appeared to be clown shoes on. "Wow, I've never seen anyone who would wear those. Do you think his feet are that big?"

Miko looked, giggling. "Marik he is a clown. He looks like he is heading into work." She pointed to the man. "Don't you see the bag on his back? That is a clown wig poking out of it."

Marik nodded, blushing lightly. "I apologize then; I didn't even notice that since I was hung up on those shoes." Marik finished his meal and took a sip of his drink before he continued to speak. "Say, Miko, you sure are perceptive."

Miko blushed, standing up and throwing her food away. They start walking down the festivals street, looking over all the booths. "Yeah, I guess I am. Working with Kaiba, makes you that way."

"How does that work out?" Marik asked as they stopped at one booth.

"Well, I learned quickly how to look at someone and judge what they are thinking or what mood they are in. It is extremely useful when Kaiba is angry because then I know what not to say and normally can avoid a Kaiba-meltdown." Miko picked up a shirt with beautiful white and purple lilies on it. "Wow this is beautiful."

Marik looked at it and smiled. He handed the booth's attendant his credit card. "Well it is yours now."

Miko watched in awe as the shopkeeper packaged up her shirt and handed her the bag. "Marik you really didn't have to do that, you know that right?"

Marik nodded. "I want you to have something that you can wear and remember me by. When you wear that shirt you'll always remember this day." He looked away to hide his dark red blush.

Miko hugged him tightly, smiling wide. "Thank you Marik, this is so sweet."

Marik smiled. He looked at his watch and his eyes went wide. "We are going to be late. Come on the sun is setting soon; we have to get to the docks."

Marik laced his fingers with Miko's and ran towards the river. Miko stared down at his hand holding hers, blushing madly. _'Wow, he's actually holding my hand. His skin is so soft.'_ When they arrived at the docks, Miko looked around. She noticed that there were kayakers already out in the water, paddling down the river. Marik approached a pair of single person kayaks and held out his hand. "Marik we aren't going out into the river, are we?"

Marik nodded, "Yes, the surprise is down the river some. Trust me, you'll be safe and you will absolutely love this surprise."

Miko hesitated before taking Marik's hand. "Alright Marik, I don't trust easily but I will trust you. I guess if you lie to me I'll just push you into the river and watch an alligator eat you." She laughed playfully. Marik helped her into the kayak. He jumped into the one next to her. Miko paddled out a little way into the river, trying to get used to the paddle. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

"It isn't far down the river I promise." Marik led the way, paddling swiftly down the river. Miko followed, gazing at the river's banks.

She smiled as she saw reptiles of all sizes relaxing on the banks, soaking up the sun's final rays of the day. _'This place is like a wonderland to me. I really wish I didn't have to leave.'_

Marik paddled into a small lagoon on the right bank of the river. Other couples were already stationed at random spots in the lagoon, talking quietly amongst themselves. Marik stopped in a more private spot of the lagoon, twenty feet away from the closest couple. He put the paddle in his lap and smiled as Miko puddled up beside him, following his example. "Now all we have to do is wait."

Miko looked around at the couples; they were pulling out their cameras. She gazed up at the sinking sun. "What are we waiting for exactly?"

Marik smiled. "Just wait, you'll see."

Miko furrowed her brows, looking at him quizzically. She was about to say something but the sun finally sunk below the horizon. As the darkness began to creep upon the small lagoon, an amazing thing happened. The plant and sea life underneath the water's surface began to glow. Everything underneath the water glowed with a multitude of different iridescent lights. A pink and green plant flowed with the rivers current. Red and orange fish swam by, making the water streak with color behind them. The lights reflected from under the water and sent bright colors into the lagoon. The trees that surrounded them reflected the light. Marik gazed down, soft pink hues shining onto his tan features. Miko gazed, wondrously, around the small lagoon. The couples around them, held hands and snapped pictures. Marik smiled up at her when she turned her gaze back to him. "Marik, this is….amazing."

Marik smiled, reaching down into the water and brushing the pink plant below them. It danced around his fingers. Miko felt some tears of happiness sting her eyes. "I wanted to show you the best secret that Egypt holds. This river is magic you now and this proves it."

Miko smiled, reaching out and taking Marik's hand in hers. "Thank you so much Marik. You made this the best day ever and I will never forget it."

They spent a few more minutes in the glowing lagoon. The lights of the life around them started to dim as the night grew darker and the saved light began to fade. Marik led the way back to the docks. He helped Miko out of her kayak. "One more thing before I take you back to the hotel." Marik led the way to the outside dance floor. A slow song was playing and he pulled her gently on the floor. He bowed slightly, "May I have this dance?"

Miko giggled and placed her hands on him. "Yes you may, Marik." Marik wrapped his arms around her waist, blushing darkly. They began to sway softly as the music played. Miko smiled as she gazed into his beautiful violet eyes. "Thank you for this day Marik, it was wonderful."

Marik awkwardly spun her and wrapped his arms back around her waist. He stuttered as he spoke. "Thank you for spending it with me Miko."

Miko laid her head on his shoulder, sighing softly. She could hear his heartbeat as it rapidly increased. "I just wish I had more than just tonight left. I have to leave tomorrow morning."

Marik and Miko danced well after the music stopped. The music continued in their heads. Marik closed his eyes as he leaned her head onto hers. She smiled as they swayed. An hour later they finally stopped and looked into each other's eyes. Marik blushed darkly and leaned forward. Miko's breath caught in her throat as she watched him inch closer to her face. Marik hesitated but finally brushed his lips across hers. His lips were soft and all too brief. He pulled away and stepped back from her. He smiled wide. "I'm sorry Miko. That was my first kiss."

Miko smiled, stepping closer to him. "That's alright Marik, it wasn't that bad." She giggled, pulling him close to her. She pressed her lips again to his. This time Marik was more prepared and he deepened the kiss. Fireworks sounded overhead as the festival finally drew to a close.


	7. Chapter 7

**Day Five – The Last Day**

Miko awoke to her phone alarm going off. The reminder was set for seven in the morning, three hours before her plane was scheduled to leave. She sat up in bed, a feeling of dread overcoming her senses. _'I know I have to get back to work and my life, but I can't help feeling this is wrong. That me leaving is…wrong.'_ She looked to the nightstand as her phone began to ring again. It was an unavailable number. Miko shook her head and tried to ignore the phone; she didn't answer numbers that were not familiar unless she was on her office phone. When the caller persisted, she finally gave in. She picked up the phone with a yawn and pressed the send button. "This is Miko. How may I help you?"

There were a few minutes of silence before the caller cleared their throat, followed by a very faint sniffle. "Hey Miko, it's me."

"Marik? Oh, I forgot I gave you my cell number." Miko let off a little nervous laughter, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "So, how are you this morning?"

Marik shuffled the phone around and then finally spoke in a quiet, meager voice. "I can't go with you to the airport Miko. I'm sorry."

Miko's heart dropped and she frowned despite trying to remain upbeat. She shook her head. "That's okay Marik." she said in a soft and kind voice. "Did something come up?"

Marik sighed and a faint sniffle again could be heard. "I just can't come. Good-bye Miko, it was nice to meet you."

Before Miko could reply he hung up. She slowly brought the phone down and stared at the screen. _'I wonder what came up. I was really looking forward to seeing him again, especially after last night.'_ Miko blushed as she remembered dancing well into the wee hours of the morning in Marik's arms. He brought her back to the hotel afterwards. They found a movie to watch on the hotel's listing. Marik willingly cuddled with her on the bed. Miko feel asleep listening to his heartbeat. _'His skin was so warm. I just wish there was some way I could stay or he….'_ Miko shook her head. "Enough of these thoughts, I knew this was going to happen. I knew I would have to leave Egypt and therefore leave behind any friends I made. I just will have to plan to come back in the future when Kaiba finally gives me time off." Miko sighed and hung her head. _'Yeah, that man ever caring that you have a life outside of work is about as big of a chance as me spontaneously combusting.'_

Miko swung her legs to the side of the bed and heaved herself up onto her feet. She raised her arms above her head and stretched. Looking around the room, Miko surveyed just what needed to be done before her flight. She quickly gathered the scattered worn clothes and put them into a pile beside her luggage. She pulled out a small black duffle bag from the suitcase and opened it. The dirty clothes were then fold neatly and placed inside of the duffle. She gathered her clothes for the day and went into the bathroom. After her shower she folded her prior night's clothes into the duffle bag, which was then placed into the side of her suitcase. She packed the rest of her shoes and toiletry items into the luggage bag. Miko got up and went to the small desk in the corner of the room. She packed her awaiting laptop into its case that would be one of her carry-on bags. Finally, Miko gathered her purse up and made sure that everything was inside it; she would hate to leave something here.

Miko zipped up her suitcase and looked at herself in the closet's full length mirror. She wore a pair of comfortable black slacks and a long, short sleeved pink top. _'Wow, even for the few days I spent out here it looks like I still got a slight tan. At least now Kaiba can't joke on me for being so pale, not that he has any room to talk.'_ Miko grabbed her bag and shouldered it. She made sure she had the key for the room. "Well I guess all I have left to do now is to make sure my taxi will be here on time. I guess I will get breakfast downstairs then."

Miko walked down the hall and into the elevator. An old man was waiting for the elevator to go down into the lobby. He eyed Miko as she entered the lift. She smiled kindly to him; in return he smiled as well. "Lovely day for a stroll isn't it?" the old man said in an English accent.

Miko smiled wider. "I suppose it is although I haven't even seen the weather yet to say."

"Every day is a good day for a stroll as long as you're healthy and living. Rain, snow, even on your worst days possible, you should always take time to stop and smell the flowers." The old man said, a small hint of laughter etching his voice.

Miko nodded, this old man seemed very wise to her. "I only wish I could do that every day."

The old man turned towards her, his light grey eyes scanning her face. "And why couldn't you young lady? You seem fit and healthy; you should have no excuse not to enjoy life while you can."

Miko nodded in agreement. "Oh I know sir. I just work for someone that doesn't believe in taking life slow and having fun at all. It makes me going out and smelling the flowers as you put it, hard."

The old man let out a loud and hearty laugh that shook his small frame. "Then maybe that boss of yours should consider getting out himself." The elevator opened and the old man strolled out. "You take care of yourself missy and stop to smell the flowers sometime."

Miko followed him out of the elevator and watched as he skipped out of the hotel. She smiled. _'I wonder who that was. He seemed like one of those old men you would run into in a movie that shows you the right way to go.'_ Miko let out a small laugh and entered the hotel's small café. She approached the counter and looked into the pastry cabinet. "I would like a bagel with cream cheese and a pumpkin muffin please."

The barista smiled and retrieved the pastries. She rang them into the register. "Would you like something to drink with that?"

Miko nodded and looked up at the drink menu. "Hmm, I don't know exactly what I want. Something sweet and cold preferably, why don't you surprise me?"

The barista looked up at the menu and rang in a drink. Miko handed the woman her credit card and retreated to a small table by the hotel's window. She made herself comfortable. The barista approached a few minutes later with a medium white concoction. "This is a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. You should love it."

Miko smiled and took a small sip. "Thank you, I think you hit my craving on the head." She slipped the woman a tip and thanked her again. Miko sat back in her chair, nibbling on the warm bagel and watched the news. Surprisingly it was in English. She watched as everyone was scrambling into the newest Kaiba Corp. attraction, Kaiba Land. _'Go figure; instead of just taking time off and enjoying someone else's theme park Kaiba decides to just build one himself. I hope he at least took time to enjoy all the rides before opening it to the public. Knowing him though, he probably designed and had them built and that was that.' _Miko laughed to herself and looked out the window. The early morning foot traffic rushed past the window without so much as a glance in to the hotel. She watched as the locals made their way to work, no one in particular stood out. Just then a young man with sandy blonde hair and tanned skin strode past the window. He looked in the glass, directly at her. _'Marik? I thought he said that he was busy today. Did he lie? No, why would he feel the need to lie to me?'_

Marik walked into the hotel and a few minutes later appeared in the small café. Miko tried not to look directly at him until he sat down in the chair across from her. He smiled wide. "Hey Miko, how are you this morning?"

Miko finished her bagel before she spoke. "I thought you were busy today and wouldn't be able to see me off today." She said without even a hint of happiness. Her voice was flat and toneless.

Marik's smile fell and he scratched the back of his head. "Well, I thought that I would miss you because of something I was trying to finish. Turns out I managed to finish it in time and I ran right over here as fast as I could."

Miko sighed and sat up straight. She looked back out the window. "That is good to hear. I wanted to say good bye to you in person when I left. I was kind of sad to tell you the truth when you told me you wouldn't be able to come with me to airport."

Marik nodded. "So how long do we have?"

Miko glanced at the television's clock in the corner. "We have about an hour and a half. I already called the cab and it should be here in thirty minutes."

Marik smiled again. "We should get your suitcase then. I really wish you didn't have to leave Miko. I mean we were just becoming close friends."

Miko looked down into her cold coffee. "Me too, Marik." she said in a small voice. She felt a few pangs of sadness in her stomach and tears were threatening to form. _'The one time I make a friend, a good friend, and I have to leave.'_

Marik tried to smile and helped himself to her pumpkin muffin. "Do you think you'll ever come back?"

Miko shrugged. "I don't know. Kaiba probably won't have me come back here for a long time, if ever. I mean I would love to come back when I have the time off but again Kaiba would never give me the time off to come all the way out here. He doesn't believe in vacations."

Marik growled softly, glaring at her boss that was now doing a televised interview. "I wish he would realize that not everyone's life revolves around him." Marik looked back at Miko and stood up. "Come on, let's get your bags. The cab should be here any minute."

Miko followed Marik to the elevators. They climbed in behind an older couple. Miko unlocked the room when they arrived. "The big suitcase is my only really heavy luggage. I'll grab my laptop." Miko went to the desk. She did one last scan of her hotel room, looking for anything she might have missed. "It doesn't look like I missed anything." Her eyes fell onto Marik. "What in the world are you doing?"

Marik had both his hands on her suitcase's handle. He was trying to lift it but was struggling. He made a funny face as well as a few funny sounding groans. He struggled to lift and when he finally did he made a funny sounding yelp as he fell onto his butt, the suitcase in his lap. Miko laughed, clutching her sides. Marik looked over at her and stood up, the suitcase in his hand. He held it normally, no longer trying to play that it weighed a few thousand pounds. "I'm glad I could make you laugh. Your eyes ever since I came here this morning were dark and full of sadness. I want the eyes that I first met to be there when you leave."

Miko stopped laughing and wiped a few tears from her eyes. "You're such a dork Marik." She pushed his shoulder gently and followed him back out into the hall. She made sure the door was locked before they went to the elevator.

Marik blushed and entered the empty life when it arrived. "At least I'm your dork right?"

Miko blushed and pressed the button for the lobby. _'My dork? I don't know whether to be flattered that he wants me to be his girlfriend or be mad because he wants me to own him. Either way he is so cute when he blushes.'_ Miko smiled and laughed slightly, she wanted to put him on the spot. "What do you mean by my dork anyway?"

Marik looked at his feet, trying not to stumble over his words. "Well I….I just thought that…."

Miko put a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. "You don't have to be so nervous Marik, we are friends. You should be comfortable around me."

Marik swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump in his throat. "I just thought that maybe you would want to…..well for lack of a better term….go out with me?"

Miko's heart surged and she smiled. The smile was short lived as she remembered the reason he was here that day, to send her off and back to Domino. "Marik, you know that I'm leaving today."

Marik nodded. "I know, I thought we could try long distance dating."

Miko sighed and looked at the sandy blonde's profile. "I would love to try that Marik but with my life and working as much as I do, not to mention the time difference, do you think it would work?"

Marik looked up at Miko, determination in his eyes. His voice was serious, the first time Miko heard him like this. "I would make it work."

Miko gave him a small smile. "Marik, I just don't know if it is the best thing for us right now. I mean we just met and I would hate to say yes and then because I'm so busy all the time you feel neglected. Do you understand?"

Miko returned her smile, only a hint of small sadness in his violet eyes. "Yeah I understand, just forget I mentioned anything."

"Marik…." Miko said as they walked out of the elevator.

Marik shook his head as he led the way to the awaiting taxi. "Don't worry about it Miko. It isn't like I'm going to be mad and not talk to you ever again. I still want to be good friends and maybe one day I'll be able to suede you into dating me. I'm not the type to give up easily you know." Marik gave her a small wink as he finished loading her suitcase into the trunk.

The taxi driver waited for both of them to climb into the back of the car before pulling back into the busy traffic. It was a matter of ten minutes before the first section of Cairo's huge airport loomed into view. Miko felt butterfly's in her stomach. "What airline?" the driver asked.

Miko shook her head. "I'm flying on a private jet."

The driver nodded in understanding, his heavy accent making his words funny sounding. "Okay, okay, you special case."

The driver pulled into a smaller section of the airport where the private jets were parked. Miko locked eyes onto the Kaiba Corp. jet. _'At least he didn't send the Blue Eyes craft this time. I would have to wring that skinny neck of his; he knows how much I hate that thing.'_ The driver pulled up to the jet as the pilot was climbing the stairs. Miko paid the cab fare and tip. Marik retrieved her bags and gazed up at the stunning jet. "Pretty neat huh?"

Marik nodded his head slowly. The cab driver waited since he was to take Marik back to the hotel. "I just wish that you didn't have to go."

Miko nodded and sighed. "Unfortunately I have to but hey you have my cell number. You can call me anytime and keep in touch. I would like that."

Marik smiled. One of the attendants approached them and took Miko's bags from them. She climbed back up the stairs. "I will I promise. I'll call you once a week until you get sick of me!" Marik pulled her into a tight hug. "I promise this will not be the last time I get to hug you." he whispered into her ear.

Miko hugged him back. His warm body finally separated from hers. "I will be back Marik, someday."

Marik nodded his head eagerly. He reached into his pocket and brought out a small envelope. "Don't read this until you're in the air okay?" Marik opened the door to the cab.

Miko took the envelope and stared at it for a good long while. She looked back up at Marik, who was gazing at the jet as if wishing it would break down. To his horror the engine's started to life, purring as a well-oiled machine should. Miko's eyes welled with fresh tears as she looked at the young Egyptian. "I guess that is my cue. Thanks for the best couple of days of my life Marik."

Marik nodded, a tear springing from his lavender eyes. "Thank you for letting me get to know you Miko. It means a lot to me."

Miko smiled softly and mounted the first few steps into the plane. She stopped and looked back down to Marik. "Well this is good bye Marik."

Marik shook his head. "This isn't good bye. Good bye is when you know you will never see that person again. This is be seeing you later."

Miko nodded, the tears slipping from her eyes. "Be seeing you around then Marik."

Marik waved his hand. "Likewise my friend and don't you dare forget about me."

"I won't Marik Ishtar." Miko soaked in the young man's lavender eyes for a few more minutes before ducking into the plane's cabin.

Marik got into the cab and it drove away from the jet. He looked back only once, smiling. "I will never forget you Miko, how could i?"

Miko sat in one of the seats as the attendant produced the morning edition of _Domino Times_ and a small glass of water. She thanked the young man and watched as he buckled himself into one of the attendant's seats. As the jet began to taxi off towards the run way, Miko pulled out the envelope. She retrieved the folded letter and began to read Marik's laborious handwriting:

Dear Miko,

At least I hope that is how I'm supposed to start this letter, I haven't written a lot in my time. Anyway, I wanted to give you a little something that you can remember me by. I guess you'll find it a little later when you land and open your suitcase, I just hope you like it.

The past few days have been amazing and I can honestly say that I'm going to miss you. I know that you probably won't feel the same or maybe even care but the time we shared meant so much to me. I don't get the chance to meet, let alone become friends with a lot of people because of the lifestyle my family has adopted. I resent that fact sometimes but then it also is a good thing I suppose. I never have to worry about meeting the wrong people; you know the kind that would just want to be your friend to take advantage of you. But this lifestyle also makes it hard for me to meet the right people, like you.

Wow, I guess I do tend to babble a little (LOL). Anyway my point to writing this letter was to tell you everything that I know I can't in person. I don't know whether it is because I am a chicken, too embarrassed, or that I'm scared you will hate me for whatever I have to say but whatever I'm just going for it.

This morning I called you and told you that I wasn't going to come because I was busy, well that was a lie (you probably already figured that out). The truth is I was so torn up about you leaving that I didn't know what to do. I cried all night like a baby and I guess I just thought that if I didn't see you to say goodbye I could live in the fantasy world that you never left. But after I thought about it I couldn't do that. I ran down to the hotel as fast as I could. I needed to see you one last time so I would never forget your face.

I shared my first kiss with you, something I thought I would never do. It was magical and I felt like my body was on fire. I just didn't want to have to say goodbye to that feeling. Miko, I know that I'm going to ask you to date me today and I'm scared about what your answer will be. I know in my heart that I want to make something work between us but something is pulling at me and telling me that it will be impossible. You probably don't feel the same or feel like it wouldn't work. I just want you to know that I WILL make something work. I know I can. I just want the chance to prove myself to you and prove to everyone that just because my family lifestyle dictates me to be alone, that I can make something of my life. I want to make that something with you.

However, if you disagree and deny me the chance then fine, I just ask that we remain close friends. You mean a lot to me Miko. I guess in the end, no matter what you decide to do when you land in Domino, I just want you to know that. Thanks for the greatest days of my life these past few, short days.

Sincerely,

Marik Ishtar

P.S. I bought a laptop this morning before I came out to see you. I'm going to figure out how to use this Skype thing and I'll get in touch with you soon. Take care my dear friend.

Miko let her tears fall onto the letter. _'He really did care about me. Why did I tell him no?'_ She looked out at the passing clouds. _'I think I just ruined the best thing that could have happened in my life. I wonder if he will ever forgive me or is it too late.'_


End file.
